Curtain-supporting and operating mechanism



@5. m. MMNIMW SUPPORTING AND OPERATING M EC'rIANISM CURTAIN- Filed April l NN mw N NN, m NN www my u www www NM @Y Nov. '19, 1940. G. o. KAHLER CURTAIN-SUPPORTING AND OPERATING MECHANISM Filed April l, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nven'for. Gerhard O. Kohler Patented Nov. 19, 1940 CURTAIN-SUPPORTING AND OPERATING MECHANISM Gerhard O. Kahler, Dorchester, Mass.

Application April 1, 1939, Serial No. 265,433

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanism for supporting and actuating draw curtains such as are used `in theatres, auditoriums, schools, and the like, and the general l object of the invention is to provide a novel curtain-supporting construction which is of great rigidity, which is easily operable, which is noiseless, which is durable and unlikely to become jammed or otherwise rendered inoperative or 10 difficult of actuation.

More specifically one of the objects of the invention is to provide a novel track member in the form of a longitudinally split metal tube fashioned to provide parallel tracks having upwardly extending flanges along the adjacent separated edges adapted to form guides for the carrier which will prevent possible jamming or derailment of the carrier.

Another object of the invention is to provide h20 wheel-supported carriers for the curtains having integral hangers of non-resonant material, such as rubber composition, projecting beyond the wheels of the carriers and adapted noiselessly to engage the ends of similar hangers of adjacent carriers when the curtains are moved toward folded position, thereby eliminating the necessity of employing additional'resilient bumpers such as are customarily used.

Another object of the invention is to provide a central hanging supporting bracket formed in sections adapted to be readily clamped upon overlapping adjacent ends of the tracks or removed therefrom without the necessity of sliding the same lengthwise of the tracks.

A further object of the invention is to provide single hanging supporting brackets formed in sections adapted to be clamped upon or removed from the track in any desired point throughout l its length.

40 A further object oi the invention is to provide the master carriers with novel means for releasably clamping the curtainaactuating cable to said master carriers in such manner as to facili- 45 tate assembly and adjustment of the cable upon the carriers.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying draw- 50 ings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of mechanism for `,55 Supporting and actuating draw curtains of a fao 4als

theatre or the like, the same being broken away to indicate that the supporting tracks may be of any desired length;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3--3 Fig. 1, viewed from the right toward the left;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on line 4-4 Fig. l, viewed from the right toward the left;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 55 Fig. 1, showing the tubular track member in section with the traveling carrier mounted therein;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View on line 6-6 Fig. 1, viewed from the right, showing the overlapping track members and the clamping mechanism for suspending the same;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View similar to Fig. 5, but showing a portion of the hanger forming part of the traveling carrier in section, and also illustrating the manner in which the actuating cable is detachably connected to the hanger; and,

Fig. 8 is an end view of the construction shown in Fig. 1, viewed from the right toward the left, showing the integral bracket for suspending the .25 ends of the track and the horizontal pulley mounted therein.

The preferred construction shown in the drawings comprises two horizontal tubular track members l and 2, which are suspended with their adjacent ends in overlapped relation. The track members l and 2 may be of any suitable length and provided with means for supporting the same at the respective outer ends and at various intervals therebetween including novel supporting brackets which can be readily clamped upon or removed from the track members, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The tubular track members desirably are in the form of a longitudinally split sheet metal tube having adjacent edge portions fashioned to provide parallel tracks, the edge portions being provided with upwardly extending anges spaced apart to provide a way therethrough for traveling carriers and also so constructed as to prevent possible derailment or jamming of the carrier.

The Preferred construction of track member is shown in section in Figs. 3 to '7 of the drawings, in which each tubular track member is so fashioned as to present a at top 3, downwardly converging side walls 4 and 5 with inwardly extending horizontal trackways 6 and 'l having upwardly extending flanges 8 and 9 spaced apart to provide a guideway for a traveling carrier having a narrow flat integral body of stii non-resonant material provided with a pair of wheels to engage the respective tracks 6 and 1.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide novel means for suspending the overlapped adjacent ends of the track members. In the preferred construction illustrated this suspending mechanism comp-rises overhanging brackets each of which is formed in sections including a central member IIJ, preferably of wedge-shape, and located between the overlapped ends of the track members, and outer clamping sections II and I2 which embrace the outer walls of the respective track members and have extensions I3 and I4 beneath the outer track. The clamping members II and I2 are provided with inwardly extending bosses which extend over and engage the tops 3 of the respective track members and are bored axially to receive a bolt I5 which extends through the upwardly extending web I6 of the central member I0. Each of the clamping members I I and I2 has respectively upwardly extending curved or arch-shaped integral arms I1 and I8 having preferably circular overlapping end portions I9 and 28 provided with alined holes 2I to receive a suspendingmember, such as a cable.

The circular end portions I9 and 28 of the arms I1 and I8 are provided with complementary recesses 22 and 23 presenting shoulders which engage the upwardly exending web I5 of the central member I0.

By reason of the above construction the upwardly curved arms I1 and I8 are in effect pivotally connected together so that when the bracket is suspended the clamping members II and I2 tend to swing toward each other and thereby to accentuate the clamping action of the bolt I5 rather than to act against it.

The construction above described provides a very rigid support for the track as the adjacent walls 4 and 5 of the parallel track members (see Fig. 6) are engaged by the complementary inclined surface of the central member, while the outer edges of the respective track members are engaged throughout their length by the clamping members II and I2 and also'beneath the outer tracks of the inwardly extending flanges I3 and I4.

Other single hanging supporting brackets may be provided at suitable intervals. One of these brackets is illustrated in Fig. 4 and is similar to the bracket illustrated in Fig. 6 in many respects, but varies therefrom in its adaptation to a single track member instead of a plurality. The single supporting bracket shown in Fig. 4 comprises clamping members 24 and 25 which are complementary to the downwardly inclined sides 4 and 5 of the tubular track member. The lower ends of the clamping members 24 and 25 are provided respectively with inwardly extending anges 26 and 21 which underlie the respective tracks 6 and 1. The clamping members 24 and 25 have integral inwardly extending bosses which engage the top 3 of the tubular track member and which are bored axially to receive a clamping bolt 2,8. rlhe clamping members 24 and 25 have upwardly curved or arched arms 29 and 30 similar to the arms I1 and I8 of the central hanger above described, and these arms 29 and 30 are respectively provided with overlapping circular end portions 3I and 32 having centrally alined apertures 33 adapted to be engaged by a suspending cable, chain, or other device.

Obviously this hanger, which is formed in two separable parts, can be readily applied to or removed from the track member at any place by the mere application or removal of the bolt 28.

Special hanging supporting brackets may be provided for the remote ends of the respective track members. Inasmuch as these do not have to be adjusted they desirably are of integral construction and one of them is provided with means for supporting a single pulley, while the other is provided with an integral double pulley support, thereby to provide convenient mechanism which will facilitate assembling of the supporting brackets upon the track members and the actuating cable which passes upwardly over one of the double pulleys, thence longitudinally of the track, around the pulley at the other end and returning over the other double pulley to the drum of a winch or other suitable actuating mechanism.

The supporting bracket having the double pulleys is illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings and desirably comprises a single casting having inclined walls 34 and 35 complementary to the walls 4 and 5 of the track members, an integral arch 36 provided with a central boss having an aperture therethrough to receive a suspending member, such as a cable, and a downwardly extending integral rectangular frame 31 having a central web 38 and providing chambers for pulleys 39 and 4B which are rotatably mounted upon a shaft 4I carried by said frame and the web 38.

The hanging supporting bracket for the opposite end of the track members is illustrated in Fig. 8 and comprises inclined walls 42 and 43 complementary to the walls 4 and 5 of the tubular track member and having an integral arch 44 provided with a central boss having an aperture therethrough to receive a supporting cable or the like, and provided at its lower end with an integral frame 45 in which a horizontal pulley 45 is suitably mounted.

The track construction when assembled as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 may be suspended upon suitable cables, chains, or otherwise, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. It will be noted that in Figs. 1 and 2", two central hanging supporting brackets are provided which clamp the overlapped adjacent ends of the tubular track members firmly together in such manner that theren is no twisting strain applied to the tubular track members. The end supporting brackets desirably are connected to the tubular track members respectively by bolts 41 and 48 which extend horizontally through the side walls 4 and 5 of the track members, and also act as stops to prevent the traveling carriers from passing out of the ends of the tubular tracks. Such rigid construction of the integral end supporting hangers to the track also aids in maintaining the track rigidly in horizontal position and the holding of the track member in such position is also supplemented by the adjustable intermediate supporting hangers which are clamped upon the tracks in the manner above described.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel traveling carriers for suspending the curtain Which are particularly adapted to be employed in the tubular track construction of the character above described. The carriers which are illustrated herein comprise two master carriers having means for connection to the end portions of the curtain and which are movable to and from the overlapped ends of the track members and a series of single carriers, some times termed floating carriers, adapted to be connected to the curtain at suitably spaced intervals and which are moved toward each other by the master` carriers when the curtain is being folded and from each other as the master carriers move the curtains toward closed position.

The master carriers comprise a rigid, flat and preferably rectangular plateor hanger 5U of resilient rubber composition, or other non-resonant material, which is provided near its upper end with two pairs of rollers each provided with two sets of anti-friction bearings, such as ball bearings 5l which are mounted upon a shaft 52 having at its ends wheels 53 and 54 which engage the tracks 6 `and 'l respectively of the tubular track members l and 2. Suitable spacing sleeves 55 and 56 are interposed between the anti-friction bearings and the inner faces of the wheels properly to space the wheels 53 and 54 apart in proper relation to the tracks 6 and l. The wheels 53 and 54 desirably are of a diameter somewhat less than the distance between the tracks 6 and l and the top 3 of the tubular member, the distance between the wheels and the top 3 in any event being less than the height of the flanges 1 and 8 of the track members.

By reason of this construction therefore it will be impossible for the wheels to jump the track. By virtue of the downward and inward inclination of the walls 4 and 5 any twisting of the carrier within the track will be compensated by the tendency of this inclination to direct the wheels to proper position on the track;

The hangers 59 of the master carriers preferably are of rectangular form and are supported upon two pairs ofwheels, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The ends of the hangers 50 extend beyond the outside of the Wheels and, inasmuch as the brackets are formed of stiff non-resonant material, are adapted noiselessly to engage hangers of other carriers as the curtain is folded by the movement of the master carriers outwardly.

Each of the master carriers is provided with a downwardly extending loop or eye 57 adapted to be engaged by a hook or other member which is attached to the upper end portion of the cur# tain. In certain prior constructions the eyes for supporting the curtains from the hangers are swiveled but in the present construction it is unnecessary and in fact disadvantageous to support the curtain from swiveled eyes as the rigidly positioned eyes prevent undesirable iiexure of the curtain during the folding operation.

Individual or iioating carriers are provided Ior supporting the curtain at suitable predetermined intervals. Such individual carriers maybe of a construction similar to that above described with respect to the master carriers except that the individual carriers may comprise a single pair of wheels 58 having a common shaft upon which a hanger 59 is supported upon anti-friction bearings 6U. Each of thehangers is provided with a downwardly extending eye or loop 6l torbe engaged by the hooks upon the curtain. The hanger 59 of each of these individual carriers is wider than the diameter of the wheels 53 and 54, as illustrated in Fig. l, so that its end will project beyond the supporting wheels p suiliciently to noiselessly engage the next adjacent non-resonant hanger.

In a construction of this character the spreading and folding of the curtain is accomplished by the movement of the master carriers which are connected to opposite leads 82 and 63 of an endless cable which extend vertically over the pulleys 39 and 4U, thence in parallelism with the track around the pulley 46.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide novel means for releasably securing the cable to the respective carriers. The preferred means which is illustrated in detail in Fig. l cornprises a preferably elliptical ring B4 of metal or other suitable material having a tapering aperture 65 therethrough in which is mounted a hook 66 having a screw threaded stem 61 which extends through the hanger 50 and is provided with a nut 68, with a metal bar oriwasher 69 interposed between the nut and the face of the hanger 50. i

The construction is such that by backing off the nut the hook may .be extended beyond the elliptical ring B4 sufficiently to enable the end of the hook to be hooked over the lead 62 or 63 of the cable as the case may be. The nut 38 will then be set up in such manner as to draw the hook into the socket of the elliptical ring and thereby produce a bight in the cable and securely fasten it to the master carrier.

The manner of assembling the cable upon the master carriers is illustrated in Fig. 1 ci the drawings which shows one end of the lead 62 of the cable clamped by the hook 65 firmly upon the ring 64 and consequently to the master carrier 10. The lead 62 thence passes around the horizontal pulley 46 and the opposite lead B3 ci the cable is clamped by similar hooks against similar elliptical rings upon the hanger 5f! of the other master carrier 1l. The lead 63 then passes over the vertical pulley 39 and downwardly over the drum of a suitable actuating winch or other device (not shown) and thence upwardly over the pulley 40 and thereupon horizontally to the hanger 1D to which the end of the lead 62 has been anchored. This lead of the cable corresponds to an extension of the lead 62 and is clamped at its end in a similar manner to the master carrier lll.

In the operation of the device tension upon the lead 63 of the cable will pull directly upon the master carrier 'H and move it to the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. At the same time tension is placed upon the lead 62 of the cable which will move the carrier 1D to the central position illustrated in Figs. l and 2, thus causing the ends of the curtains which are respectively supported upon` the master and floating carriers to be drawn to closed position in which they overlap.

When it is desired to open or fold the curtain the cable is moved in the opposite direction thereby causing the lead S2 to pull the master carrier 10 to the left and inasmuch as the cable B2 passes around the pulley 4S and thence to the master carrier 1|, the master carrier 'H will be drawn to the right and the curtain opened or folded. As each of the master carriers is drawn in the direction to fold the curtain, the carrier will engage the closest individual or floating hanger and propel it along the track until such floating hanger engages the next iioating hanger and so on until the curtain is completely folded. When the curtains are closed the carriers are moved successively in the opposite direction. The end supporting brackets are provided respectively with depending members 'l2 and 13 having eyes or apertures adapted to receive hooks upon the ends of the curtains to prevent the outer edge of the curtain from following the last hanger when the curtain is moved to closed position, and to insure proper spreading of the curtain. Suitable stops in the form of plates 14 and 15 are secured to the ends of the overlapped tracks to prevent the carriers from being drawn out of the ends of the tracks.

Preferably each of the stop plates 'I4 and 'I5 has secured to it.- or formed integral with it a depending guide for the lead of the cable which is connected to the master carrier which is mounted upon the track member in which the stop plate is secured. In the particular construction illustrated each of the stop plates 14 and 15 is provided with an integral downward extension 16 which lies between the flanges 6 and l of the track member to which the stop is secured. The extension 76 is enlarged below the tracks to provide a preferably circular or ring-shaped guide "Il having a large aperture 18 therethrough to provide a guide for the cable.

Inasmuch as these 'stops are located at the overlapped ends of the trackways the guides 11 for the respective leads of the cable support the respective leads of the cable approximately midway of the distance between the single pulley 46 and the double pulleys 39 and 40 and thereby prevent undesirable sagging.

It will be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention shown and described herein is of an illustrative character and is not restrictive and that various changes in form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. A curtain-supporting construction comprising a track member in the form of a longitudinally split sheet metal tube of trapezoidal form having parallel upper and lower walls and downwardly converging side walls with adjacent edge portions fashioned to provide parallel tracks having upwardly extending flanges spaced apart to provide a way therethrough for traveling carriers having wheels to engage the respective tracks and sectional arched-supporting members embracing said side walls and having end portions extending beneath the tracks thereof acting to support said tracks and to prevent them from spreading apart, and means for suspending said supporting members.

2. A curtain-supporting construction comprising two horizontal tubular track members overlapped at their adjacent ends, each track member being in the form'of a longitudinally split sheet metal tube having its adjacent edge portions fashioned to provide parallel tracks having upwardly extending ilanges spaced apart to provide a way therebetween for traveling carriers having wheels to engage the respective tracks and means for suspending said track members in overlapped relation comprising a central upwardly converging member located between the overlapped portions of said track members and having faces complementary to and engaging the adjacent walls of said tubular track members, arched-shaped supporting members embracing the remote walls of the overlapping tubular track members and having end portions extending beneath the respective track members, means for clamping said supporting members together upon said track members `with the upwardly converging member therebetween acting to support said tracks and to prevent them from` spreading apart, and means for suspending said supporting members. 3. In a curtain-supporting construction having two horizontal tubular track members overlapped at their adjacent ends, each track member being in the form of a longitudinally split sheet metal tube having its adjacent edge portions fashioned to provide parallel tracks having upwardly extending flanges spaced apart to provide a Way therebetween for traveling carriers having wheels to engage the respective tracks, curtain supporting means comprising master carriers having shafts provided with Wheels engaging the respective track members and movable to and from the overlapped adjacent ends of said track members, and independently movable carriers each having shafts provided with wheels engaging the respective track members, said master carriers 4and independent carriers comprising integral flat curtain-supporting hangers of non-resonant material suspended from the respective shafts of said carriers and extending beyond the wheels thereof and presenting flat ends adapted noiselessly to engage the like ends of adjacent hangers when the curtain is being folded.

4. In a curtain-supporting construction of the class described having traveling means for supporting a curtain including a master carrier, means for clamping an actuating cable to the master carrier comprising a socket member seated upon the hanger of said carrier and having an elliptical aperture therethrough converging toward said hanger and a hook having its hooked portion located Within said aperture, and a long shank portion extending through said hanger with a nut on said shank portion adapted when set up to clamp a bight of the cable into said socket member, the stem of said hook being of such length that when the nut is well removed from its side of the hanger the hook may be extended through the socket suillciently to enable the cable to be inserted into the mouth of the hook.

5. Curtain-supporting means, adapted to be mounted upon tWooverhead horizontal track members overlapped at their adjacent ends and having narrowly separated pairs of tracks, comprising a master carrier and a plurality of floating carriers mounted on each pair of tracks, the master carrier and floating carriers comprising an integral flat hanger of stiff non-resonant material having anti-friction bearings mounted therein, shafts mounted in the respective bearings each having a pair of Wheels to engage the tracks, each of said hangers extending beyond the wheels thereof and presenting ilat end faces adapted noiselessly to engage the ends of adjacent hangers when the curtain is being folded.

6. Curtain-supporting means, adapted to be mounted upon an overhead track member having a pair of overhead narrowly spaced parallel tracks, comprising a floating carrier having an integral hanger member of stiff non-resonant material, a shaft rotatably mounted in said hanger midway of its width and provided with wheels to engage said tracks and to cause said hanger to depend between said tracks, saidl hangers being of such width as to extend beyond the periphery of the Wheels and adapted noiselessly to engage the ends of adjacent hangers when the curtain is being folded.

7. Curtain-supporting means, adapted to be mounted upon an overhead track member having a pair of parallel narrowly spaced tracks, comprising a floating carrier having an integral flat hanger member of stiff non-resonant material of general rectangular form, an anti-friction bearing mounted in said hanger substantially flat hanger member of stiff non-resonant material of substantially rectangular form presenting flat ends, anti-friction bearings mounted on said hanger adjacent the ends thereof, shafts mounted in said bearings each having a pair of Wheels to engage said tracks, the ends of said hangers extending beyond the peripheries of the Wheels and presenting fiat faces adapted. noiselessly to engage an adjacent hanger when the curtain is being folded.

GERHARD O'. KAHLER. 

